


Evitable

by aniura



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Alternate Ending, Angst, Family, Future, Gen, Gentle AU (for Dan's initial motivations), Gray Morality, Hurt/Comfort, Secret Santa 2020, TUE, The Ultimate Enemy, Time Travel, Twoshot, X-posted to fanfiction, christmas truce, dp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28181211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aniura/pseuds/aniura
Summary: Dan Phantom traveled back to 2004 for one reason – to make sure his tragic future was inevitable. But what happens when the memories from his past prove to be too much to handle?
Relationships: Dan Phantom & Maddie Fenton, Dan Phantom & Sam Manson, Jazz Fenton & Dan Phantom
Comments: 15
Kudos: 55





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kanee2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kanee2/gifts).



  
  
  
_"There must have been some point in time, evolutionarily, when the tear became something that automatically set off empathy and compassion in another._

_Actually being able to cry emotionally, and being able to respond to that, is a very important part of being human."_

_\- Michael Trimble, Behavioral Neurologist_

* * *

_**November 14, 2014. 6:21 pm.** _

_Humans never learn._

Even plagued by the fear of their own mortality, even with nearly ten years to get their act together – ten years of destruction, of heartbreak, of never-ending loss – they made the same mistakes over and over again.

He watched the teens clumsily climb over the ruined foundation of an old skyscraper, the walls of the ruined building now a meager three feet tall. Two boys with blonde hair, one girl taller than the others. Too far away to hear – but their gestures showed their excitement, their embarrassingly carefree nature reminding him too much of how he used to be.

It enraged him to no end.

Surely they must have parents, siblings, friends – people who should care for them when they were gone. And of course, they _would_ care… for a while.

_But the world keeps on turning, doesn't it?_

All those parents, siblings, so-called friends – they would all move on. Selfishly, they would keep living their lives. And why shouldn't they? Their precious teenagers had chosen to go on a little field trip outside the ghost shield. If these three didn't care about their lives, why should their families be bothered to remember them?

Some days he felt more human than all of them.

 _How ironic that the only person with enough of a heart to mourn_ _doesn't have one at all._

Sam. Tucker. Jazz. Mom. Dad.

Not a single day, not a single tortured _minute_ went by when he didn't think of them.

He used to be shocked at the world's utter indifference. After all, they were his world. They deserved to be remembered. But all humans ever did was tell him to move on. Worst of all, his family hadn't done a single thing to deserve their cruel fates – unlike these selfish, negligent _kids._

Rage swirled in his chest. They didn't care about their lives? Fine.

Humans may never learn, but _he_ did. And he'd learned that nobody would truly miss them.

He charged up an ecto-blast and took aim.

* * *

_**January 9, 2005. 9:01 pm.** _

_It hurts._

Ectoplasm splattered onto the ground, pouring out of his body. This was new – it normally leaked out in an oddly comforting rhythm. After all, steady, pulsing streams from an injury meant he still had a heart. It meant he was still half-human. Not this time.

_Why does it always have to hurt?_

He fell to his hands and knees. Ghostly smoke curled around his body. More ectoplasm splashed onto the floor.

It hurt – but he didn't care about the gaping holes in his abdomen.

Danny keened – a guttural, animalistic sound that tore through his vocal chords. He thought this would make it go away – why hadn't it gone away? He was so _tired_ of waking up every day in tears. He was growing more hopeless by the day.

No. He didn't care about the raw stinging in his useless body. No injury could hurt him anymore. Nothing compared to the pain of losing his family.

Danny screamed until all the air left his lungs. He coughed, ectoplasm finding its way from his lungs into his mouth and dribbling down his chin. He looked up, roughly wiping his mouth. The Ghost Gauntlets shimmered temptingly on the ground a few feet in front of him.

If he still felt the same as Danny Phantom, then maybe…

_That's it._

Danny leaned forward and grabbed the oversized gloves. He slipped them on and floated into the air. He set his sights on the unconscious Masters, who was slumped over limply in the corner. A maniacal grin grew on Danny's face as he pieced his impulsive, desperate plan together.

Who could be more uncaring than Vlad? The man who only took him in just so he could have the messed up half-ghost son he always wanted? Vlad didn't care about the Fentons. He didn't care about Sam or Tucker. He definitely didn't care about Danny.

That's all Danny wanted. To stop caring.

* * *

_**November 21, 2014. 9:12 am.** _

He had to admit it. Encasing Amity Park in a ghost shield was clever.

If Valerie Gray hadn't come up with that little plan, Amity Park would have undoubtedly have ceased to exist years ago.

But all of that was going to change.

Years of experimentation and preparation had led up to this day. Now finally, he was ready.

He wondered if Valerie would notice the date. The ten-year anniversary of his family's death. Maybe he got his flair for the dramatic from Plasmius. He would have chuckled if his heart didn't ache so much at the memory of his family.

He had gotten a lot from Plasmius – their personalities had mingled in ways that still surprised, delighted, and enraged him to this day. He'd recently deduced that the part of him that was once Plasmius had to be the reason he missed his mom the most of all. Sometimes it even delivered flashes of new memories about her, memories he thought were long gone.

A glimpse of his mom deep in thought during a chemistry lesson. A flash of a delighted scream when his mom's favorite song came on at a fraternity party. Laughing with his parents during a Spirit Club meeting when yet another vapid cheerleader showed up thinking their club was about _school_ spirit.

He looked up at the sun. From where it hung in the sky, it was mid-morning. No time to get distracted. It was time.

Regardless, there was no point in trying to differentiate Phantom and Plasmius' personalities anymore. He was something new – an amalgamation of both of them.

Only Phantom and Plasmius together would be able to accomplish this.

He flew downward and phased through the ruins of Elmerton to his hideout underground. He approached his computer, flicking the communicator on. The small indicator bulb on his camera lit up green.

_Showtime._

"Hello, Valerie."

* * *

_**January 9, 2005. 9:07 pm.** _

The physical changes were painful, but he was no stranger to the searing burn of his DNA getting ripped apart and pieced back together.

The mental fusion was another story. Instantaneously, over forty years of memories crammed themselves inside his head. He knew he was screaming but he couldn't hear himself. He felt like his brain was going to burst.

Even worse, Danny was wrong. Danny was so, so wrong.

Vlad cared more than he could have thought possible. It was like losing Jack and Maddie… Dad? Mom? All over again. His heart felt like a cavern that had opened up in his chest cavity. He found himself missing them in entirely new ways. Hours spent pacing by the phone, wondering how to apologize to his college friends for his extended absence. Wondering how to tell them the truth about his ghost half. Would they accept him? Or would he always be alone? His years of fondness for Jack, his best friend, which had only soured when he grounded him for fighting with Jazz. Wait, no, that wasn't right…

He felt like every blood vessel in his head was exploding all at once. He was so sad, no, angry, no… this was wrong. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He just wanted to stop hurting. God, Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Maddie, Jack…

And what was _he_ doing?

Sniveling in the corner, crying for a mom that would never hear his pleas ever again. His heart panged with sympathy. Poor boy. He missed her too. After all, who would know how to mourn better than –

"Please! Stop! Don't hurt me!"

His expression soured. He leaned in, hissing in the teen's face. "Your family is _dead_ and all you can think of is yourself?"

The boy covered his face, curling in on himself.

His thoughts screamed at him, disjointed and angry.

_The poor boy never had a chanceHE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THEMWhy can't I just move onHE'S SELFISHStop and thinkSHUT UPYou never listenIT'S YOUR FAULT THEY'RE GONE_

He howled. He couldn't take it. And it was all _Danny's fault._

Rage dyed his vision red.

He struck.

* * *

_**November 21, 2014. 11:03 am.** _

He soared over Amity Park, surveying the damages. It was bittersweet – he knew most of the population was hiding underground, but at least he was able to inflict an ounce of the loss this wretched town had inflicted on his family.

He cackled. He wished he could see their hopeless faces as they trudged back to their destroyed homes. As if they knew what it was to be truly hopeless. He shot a few extra ghost rays at a mostly-intact building, grinning as it crumbled. The city was in ruins.

Everything except for…

Well, well, well.

FentonWorks. Who knew that decrepit old building had it in her?

He sailed towards the old rowhouse. A dot of red and silver stood in the middle of the road, next to a few civilians.

He grinned, exposing his sharp teeth. Valerie Gray? Out in the open? This day just kept getting better and better.

"…the last time I saw you alive. The big explosion at the Nasty Burger, you, Tucker, Danny's family…" Valerie's voice shook.

He turned invisible and hovered nearby. Why in God's name was she talking about-

_Oh._

Sam. Tucker.

They looked the same as the last time he saw them alive. His heart screamed for him to fly to them, to hold them and never let them go. But he knew his best friends weren't here to pop by for an innocent chat. Enough people knew about his past to figure out his emotional weaknesses. They were pawns in _something._ Someone was using them to get to him.

"And it was all your fault!" The ghost hunter took aim at… Well. This day really _was_ interesting, wasn't it?

He faded into sight and shot a quick ecto-blast at the woman, knocking her off her feet. "Actually, that was me."

His eyes fell to the form of the young ghost boy, curled in on himself in one of Valerie's nets. Just as pathetic as he remembered. "And you, eventually."

God, did he really used to be so callous with the lives of his friends? Did Danny think twice before dragging his closest friends into whatever mess this was? They really felt like they were invincible as teens. How wrong they had been.

* * *

_**January 10, 2005. 7:10 am.** _

He had tried to sleep. He couldn't.

How could you sleep after murdering yourself?

So he stayed up. His coalescence of a mind seemed to sort itself out as the minutes ticked by – more and more of Danny Fenton's thoughts and memories floated at the surface, while many of Vlad Masters' experiences faded into oblivion. Was it because Danny was younger? Because Phantom had initiated the merging process?

He had a feeling he would never know. The only two scientists who had a chance at figuring it out died months ago.

And now he was left with no home, no family, no friends.

He had flown all night to reach her. There was only one person left who could possibly understand, possibly know what to do. Did he want to un-merge? He didn't know. But he knew he shouldn't have killed Danny Fenton. He knew he didn't want to be alone.

He hovered outside Valerie's apartment. Any minute now, he knew her ghost sensors would alert her to the ecto-entity outside her home.

Sure enough, her bedroom window slid open and she rocketed out on her hoverboard, guns firing up with a whine.

He held his hands out in a gesture of peace. "Valerie, wait! Please." His voice cracked, coming out deeper than it would have as Danny Phantom. "I need your help, I don't know what to-"

She shot him out of the air. He tumbled toward the ground for a dazed moment before regaining his composure and righting himself. Huh. Typically, he would have taken longer to recover.

He tried again, desperate. "Valerie! It's Danny!"

She soared down to him, aiming her weapon. "I know it's you, Phantom. You can't fool me with a new hairdo and a voice drop."

"No, you don't understand! It's Danny Fenton, it's always been-"

She pulled the trigger. This time, he hit the ground with a crack.

"You keep his name out of your _mouth,_ ghost! That boy has been through enough!"

Despite its low success rate, he held up a hand again as she flew down to shoot him again. He _needed_ her to understand. Her reply showed that she cared about what Danny was going through. And she had to be hurting too. She had dated Tucker, right? Or wait, is that just something Vlad thought?

"Valerie, I need your _help._ I really, _really_ messed up. I'd give anything to talk to Sam or Tucker or Jazz or my parents but I _can't!"_ His voice cracked.

She aimed the gun at his face. "You're _Danny Fenton_ , huh?" She snapped. " _Prove it!"_

He reached for that piece of humanity inside him, the one that he tugged on to shift back into his human form. He put a hand on his chest. Nothing was there. _Of course_ nothing was there. That's… that's right, why would he be able to change? Why would he still have a human half?

He…

He swallowed. "I can't, but please-"

She fired.

* * *

_**November 21, 2014. 11:15 am.** _

Danny Fenton grinned as he picked up the discarded necklace. "They took off their time medallions! That returned them to their time period just like Box Lunch and Skulktech."

The older ghost rolled his eyes. They were in the middle of a fight and the brat still took the time to pause and give some asinine exposition to absolutely nobody. He was glad he abandoned the tendency to talk to himself years ago.

"Tucker and Sam made it out _alive."_

And why did it matter if Sam and Tucker made it out alive? If they died now, at least their deaths would have meant something. They would have had _purpose._ Maybe it'd be easier to cope knowing that his friends died doing something they cared about, something they knew carried risk, rather than a senseless explosion at the Nasty Burger. Danny should have been in that diner too, if he weren't so busy abandoning his family to fight the ghost of the week.

He glowered at the teen. Senseless deaths that could have been entirely prevented if Danny just thought to think of anything except his little hero complex for more than five seconds.

Danny Fenton grabbed his time medallion. "Which means I can-"

The ghost snatched the boy's arm, infuriated. Even now, Danny only ever cared about himself. " _What?"_ He pulled Danny into the air. The teen hung there pathetically. "Go back with them? They're _doomed anyway."_

This kid didn't _deserve_ a loving family. All he did was try to save his own skin and look like the hero. He knew he used to be ungrateful but staring his past-self dead in the face disgusted him. Why shouldn't the teen have to suffer just like he did a decade ago? Just like he suffered every day? This halfwit didn't get to have a happy ending. And he was going to make sure of it.

He snatched the medallion from the boy's neck, tearing the band.

"And you aren't going anywhere if you can't remove your time medallion."

* * *

_**January 14, 2005. 10:12 am.** _

He'd tried everything.

It seemed like everyone had moved on but him.

Nothing made the hurting stop.

So maybe it was time to stop running from the pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays, Phandom! This is for the Danny Phantom Reddit Discord Server's Secret Santa exchange. [If you'd like to join us, click here! I'm Ozone on there.](https://discord.gg/MbhZErDcJx) My gift-receiver (who is an aspiring young writer) asked for a motivational story involving Dan Phantom. Here you go, Kane! Thanks for always sharing your stories with me and sharing your radiant self with the server, and I hope you enjoy this one! I'm glad we met! The second and final will be up on December 24th.
> 
> [The quote in the intro is from Mandy Oaklander's article "Why Do We Cry?" in TIME Magazine.](https://time.com/4254089/science-crying/)  
> 
> 
> Thank you to my beta readers, [hazama_d20](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazama_d20/pseuds/Hazama_d20) and [indigoGBA](https://twitter.com/indigoGBA)
> 
> All my best,  
> \- Ani


	2. Chapter 2

_**November 20, 2004.** _

He felt ridiculous stuffed into the gangly body of a human teen. He'd nearly forgotten what it felt like to exist like this – so _awkward._ He was all bones. Growing too fast, eating and sleeping too little. His clothing rubbed on his body uncomfortably, far looser than he would have liked. Why didn't Danny have the sense to wear a belt?

He tugged at his shirt collar and looked up at the Nasty Burger, still standing. He needed to focus. He needed to be sure Danny was subject to the same fate he was. That happy endings didn't exist, and certainly not for either of them. A quick peek through the hole in the side of the building indicated that that wouldn't be true for long. Leave it to some profit-hungry corporation to make the cheapest sauce imaginable at the expense of everyone's safety.

"Danny!"

At the sound of his name, he flinched. Immediately, he found himself embarrassed at his reaction. No. That wasn't his name anymore. "Phantom" was the most anyone had called him in years, and it was always spat out, dripping with hate.

That name wasn't said in anger, however. It almost sounded like –

Sam launched herself at him, enveloping him in a hug. He flinched again, shoulders tense, hands hovering uncertainly around her torso.

"You made it back!"

It sounded like love. Relief. Affection. Things he hadn't heard in so long, and certainly not directed at him.

She pulled away, a grin plastered on her face. She held onto his hands firmly. As if she was afraid he'd disappear again. Hesitantly, he squeezed back. He found that he didn't want her to disappear again, either.

Tucker rushed in next, wrapping his arms around him tightly. He'd forgotten how much that disgusting godforsaken cologne stank. God, it was overwhelming. But even though logic told him to gag and push Tucker away – he found himself feeling nostalgic. The scent brought back memories, things he hadn't thought about in years. Things he tried not to think about.

Flashes of fighting Spectra in the North Mercy hospital. The terror that gripped his heart when he found out his friends and family would die from their exposure to those ghost bugs. How he knew he'd do anything to save them, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

How had he forgotten that?

Tucker released him. "Did you beat that evil jerky puspack alternative version of yourself?"

He barked out a short laugh at the unnecessarily lengthy insult. "Always with the quips," he said, reminiscing. He used to speak like that too, didn't he? "In my weaker moments, I sometimes miss your droll sense of humor."

Tucker blinked, taken aback. "I'm sorry?"

God, he'd said that without thinking as if he was just "hanging out" with them. What was wrong with him? He laughed, masking his error. "I'm just kidding! I beat my other self quite easily. Had you guys going there for a second, didn't I?"

Tucker shared a glance with Sam, unsure how to react at first. "Well… we should probably do what do what we can to stop the Nasty Burger from blowing up, huh?"

He grinned. "Already done. Now what's up for…" What did they used to do together? "…uh… playing some video games and raging against the machine?"

They beamed at him. "We're in!"

* * *

He racked his brain for an answer.

He'd done this how many times in his life? How many hours had he dedicated to this? This used to be _so important_ to him, and now he couldn't remember anything. He didn't even know where to start looking for answers.

The cursor blinked, taunting him in the blank "username" field on the _Doomed_ login screen.

Tucker was already in a game a few computers down their aisle of the internet café. Sam leaned over his shoulder. He did his best not to flinch at the contact. These two were so much _touchier_ than he recalled. Then again, when was the last time he had touched someone without the intention of violence?

She knocked affectionately on his skull. "Uh, Earth to Ghost Boy. You gonna log in?"

 _GHOSTBOY._ That was it. He typed the username out, tabbing down to the "password" field. His hands hovered uncertainly over the clunky internet café keyboard.

Sam pulled a face. "What's taking you so long?"

"I seem to have…. forgotten my password."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Did you hit your head or something?"

He blinked, thinking back to the battered Danny under Valerie's net. "Yes."

The goth barked out an angry laugh. "It's your future wife's name," she growled.

Despite himself, he felt his face heat up. He didn't know whether to be more embarrassed at his juvenile reaction or her bluntness.

"You're blushing?" Sam teased. "C'mon, it wasn't that hard to figure out."

He grew more flustered. She really knew how he felt, all this time? If he still had a physical heart, he knew it'd be pounding in his ears.

He shook his head, trying to focus. Why should he care? _His_ Sam and Tucker were long dead, and these two would be too, soon enough. This life wasn't his anymore. But the longer he spent with them, the harder it was to convince himself of that.

He typed _SAM_ into the password field. Wrong password.

He tried _SAMFENTON._ Wrong password.

 _SAMANTHA?_ Wrong password.

He turned back to Sam. Her face had to be more red than his. She stood up straight and crossed her arms tightly in front of her body.

"Are you teasing me or something?" She snapped, avoiding eye contact. "It's _PAULINAFENTON._ "

He let out a cackle as memories of his schoolboy crush rushed back to him. "Oh my god, _that_ girl?" He laughed harder. He couldn't help it. He didn't think he'd thought about that girl even _once_ since the explosion. The idea of her being his _wife –_ he couldn't even remember her last name.

"Not gonna act like I'm not enjoying this, but did Ember get to you again or something? Are you really okay, Danny?"

Still chuckling at the absurdity of it all, he typed in his password and hit enter. His _Doomed_ profile filled the screen. Fondness swirled in his chest at the familiar sight. He used to _love_ this game.

He looked back at Sam, who was looking down at him with affection and concern. The keys of oversized 2000s keyboards clacked around him, peppered with the occasional curse from Tucker as he lost health in his game. It was overwhelming. He shouldn't let himself get wrapped up in a trip down memory lane, but… what was the harm? His plan was already in motion. The Nasty Burger was set to explode tomorrow.

He could enjoy himself for now, couldn't he?

"You know, Sam, I haven't been this okay in a long time."

* * *

Sam and Tucker offered to walk him home after their outing at the internet café – an offer he'd refused, no matter how much he longed to talk to them more. It was difficult to say no. He knew this would be the last time he ever saw them.

He needed the solitary walk to clear his head. He needed to _focus._ The longer he stayed here, the less he felt like a ghost and more like… well, just _Danny._ Like he'd picked up a well-loved book he'd long forgotten about and immediately found himself re-immersed in the world once again. Everything – the smells, the outdated architecture, and of course, the _people_ made him feel so _at home._

He couldn't feel that way. This wasn't his home. Not anymore. Just like a well-loved book, it all had to end at some point. And Amity Park's conclusion was tomorrow.

Despite years of absence and a lack of GPS, he was able to make his way home on auto-pilot. The walk wasn't long, so he was sure to savor every second. The cracks in the sidewalk. The antiquated brick buildings. The ghost shieldless sky. He arrived at the old FentonWorks rowhouse quicker than he would've liked, but he supposed it was for the best. It was getting late, and his parents would be expecting him.

He really wasn't in the mood to get grounded… or, rather, he couldn't arouse any suspicion. Had he really thought of getting _grounded_ first? He chuckled to himself as he entered the house.

He'd just head straight up to his room and pretend-

He froze.

 _"_ _Mom."_

Mom was reclining on the couch. What could only be one of her favorite cheesy made-for-TV movies blared on the television. She sat up and turned towards him with a smile, tucking her thick auburn hair behind her ear. Her other hand cradled a steaming mug of cocoa. "Hi, sweetie." She paused for a moment, smile fading. "Danny, are you okay?"

Mom. Mom. _Mom._

Tears came without warning. Danny's face twisted. He realized with horror that he'd forgotten her voice.

Mom quickly set her mug on the coffee table and held her arms out, inviting a hug.

Danny rushed into them, pressing his face into her shoulder. He sobbed. He'd forgotten her voice – how could he have forgotten her voice?

Mom stroked his head gently. "Sweetie, what happened?"

Danny just shook his head. _So much._ So much had happened.

Mom pulled him in tighter, wrapping her arms around him. Danny cried, his mind overwhelmed with unexpected emotion. Everything he hadn't realized he'd been holding in came out in a big release. When was the last time he felt safe? The last time he didn't feel _so alone?_

Mom gently shushed him. "It's okay, Danny," she said softly. "You're home now."

Danny nodded. The tears showed no signs of slowing down.

He _was_ home.

"God, what the hell am I _doing?"_ Danny choked out, muffled in Mom's embrace. He was really going to give all of this up? Kill everyone, destroy everything, just to… teach his past self a _lesson?_ Make sure he had the same tormented future he did?

"I know it's hard sometimes, sweetie," Mom said after a moment. "You're at a confusing time in your life right now. I sure didn't know what I was doing at your age."

"It's more than that, it's…" Danny's words were cut off by a sob. "Oh, _Mom…"_ He pulled her closer. He'd been such a fool.

"I'm here, Danny." Mom sighed. "You know, I'm glad you still feel like you can come to me when you feel down. I'll always be here for you sweetie… you know that? Even when you're all grown up and don't want anything to do with your old crone of a mom."

Danny jerked up, looking her in the eyes. "I will _always_ love you. _Especially_ when I'm grown up."

Mom blinked a few times, taken aback by the firmness of his statement.

" _Always."_

* * *

Danny shakily entered his old room, not entirely calm from his breakdown. His mom promised to come check on him later, something he knew a petulant teen should've scoffed at. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He gave her another hug and nodded, eternally grateful.

For ten years, he'd been alone. Suddenly, he wasn't. He didn't _have to be._

Danny walked over to the mirror in his bedroom and touched his face. His old face. He used to think he was so grown up at 14 – how foolish. He looked like a baby – not a scar in sight, no hint of wrinkles. He'd barely started puberty. He poked his round cheek. He still had _baby fat,_ for god's sake.

His younger self still had a chance. As a 24-year-old, he knew the world was ugly – that people were selfish, that they only ever cared about themselves. But he only learned that when everything he'd ever loved was ripped from him. Nobody cared that a 14-year-old kid was suddenly without a home, without a family.

He felt like the only person who mourned everyone he'd lost.

If he tore that away from his younger self, he'd be just like everyone else. He'd been so hateful for so long that he'd nearly forgotten why he started all of this. He'd taken revenge on the world for a _reason –_ they'd all turned his back on him. His family. His friends. They needed to know what it felt like.

If he let the Nasty Burger explode – he was just as bad as the rest of them.

Maybe one day the younger Danny would still learn what a cruel, selfish place the world is. But he deserved a _chance_ to see it in a different light.

He didn't have to be alone anymore.

But how was he going to fix his future when he had no idea where his past self was?

* * *

Danny had no idea where to find his younger self. He was hurtling through the Ghost Zone ten years in the future – he could use Clockwork's medallion to time travel back, but what if he was too late? What if his enemies had gotten to the younger Danny first? He could go back to the moment he threw the teen into the Zone, but then he'd surely have to fight himself. Could he win in a fight where he was evenly matched? It'd been so long since he fought someone of a similar caliber. He was sitting on his bed, lost in his thoughts and fiddling with one of his old model rockets when his door swung open.

"Danny? We need to talk."

He turned at the sudden entry. Jazz. She looked younger than he remembered – probably due to how old he was now. She was seven years his junior, an odd thing to think about.

"Hey, Jazz," he greeted lamely. What could you say to someone after missing them for a decade? Someone who annoyed you day in and day out, but still found yourself missing them with your entire heart?

Jazz produced a backpack that he vaguely recognized and roughly pulled out a gray folder. "You're really going to cheat?" She snapped. "Lancer was _right;_ you did steal the answers!"

 _God,_ he'd barely thought about the CAT. How ironic that a test that was supposed to give you a fast pass to a good future had so utterly destroyed his.

She sighed, her words losing their bite. "Don't you _understand?"_

"That I'd be destroying my future?" Danny asked sadly. "You don't know the half of it."

Jazz took a deep breath. "Danny, I know _all of it._ That you're part ghost." She picked up a piece of random Fenton tech from his bedroom floor. "That you were always doing the right thing with your powers! Until _now."_

"You _knew?"_ Danny asked softly, disbelieving.

All this time, she had known? How had he not noticed?

"I _know,"_ Jazz said, emphasizing the present tense. "And I've been covering for you with Mom and Dad because I'm _proud of you!_ And the good that you do! But _not anymore."_

She really did love him, didn't she? Despite all their squabbling, despite how much she annoyed him, Jazz had really _looked out for him._ In secret, without needing any recognition. He wondered how many times she'd stuck her neck out for him.

She'd be willing to do it one more time, right?

"You're right, Jazz. You shouldn't have to cover for someone like me."

"And I can't _believe-"_ She stopped, blinking. "Wait, you just said I'm _right?"_

Danny nodded. If she knew all about his crime-fighting antics, then this news shouldn't come as too much of a shock. He felt ridiculous coming to a teenager for help, but Jazz always was smarter than he gave her credit for.

"Danny, you haven't cheated yet. You can still-"

"Jazz, forget about the test for a second."

"It's _important!"_ She protested.

"Jazz, I'm not Danny."

Jazz froze. There was a beat of silence between them. "What… does that mean?"

Dare he reveal his true form? Would that scare her? He needed her cooperation. "I'm… another version of Danny. From a different timeline."

That lie should be sufficient. She didn't need to know _all_ the details.

Jazz furrowed her brow and looked him up and down suspiciously. "That wouldn't be the craziest thing to happen… but why are you here? Where's _my_ Danny?"

"In my timeline. In your future. I… I made some mistakes. Including cheating on the CAT. I came back to try and fix them, but I realize now that your Danny has to be the one to do it."

The half-lies fell from his lips easily.

Jazz turned the piece of Fenton equipment over in her hands. " _That's_ why the Boo-merang wasn't honing in on your ecto-signature."

"I need to find him to fix all of this but I have no idea where he is."

Jazz held up the curved Fenton machinery. "But this does."

* * *

_**November 21, 2004.** _

If the idiotically-named tracking device was to be trusted, his teenage self should be arriving back in 2004 at any time now. Jazz seemed confident that her brother would know where to go to find Masters' portal – after all, he would have recently visited his arch-enemy's lab.

As a 24-year-old, those memories had faded over time, even though he considered himself good with directions.

Danny wanted to linger in 2004 until his younger self arrived safely. If he didn't show up, if something prevented him from reaching Masters' portal, he'd be forced to go back in time and fight himself right before he threw the child into the Ghost Zone. Who knew what kind of time anomalies _that_ would cause. He didn't envy Clockwork's job.

In the meantime, Danny was playing sick, staying at home to avoid the CAT. He had technically dropped out of high school, and hadn't attended a lesson in over ten years. It was best if his teen self just took a make-up exam.

His shapeshifting abilities easily allowed him to give his skin a sickly pallor, and Mom let him stay home without a protest. She was even doting on him more than she normally would.

Perhaps because of his breakdown yesterday.

Not that he was complaining about the extra attention from the person he missed the most.

Danny was cozied up on the worn living room couch, under a frankly ridiculous number of blankets that Mom had brought him. He cradled a steaming bowl of soup in his hands. He hadn't had soup in years, as he didn't need to eat anymore. Each sip filled him with warmth. He left the television off, entertained by creature comforts and the familiar sounds of Mom's tinkering echoing up from the lab downstairs.

Yes, at any time his teenage self would burst through the door. At which point he would either be trapped in the Fenton Thermos or simply cease to exist.

Danny took another sip of soup, savoring the taste, wondering which gulp would be his last.

It didn't matter to him that these were his last moments alive. It meant that in another life, he would have a chance to be surrounded by warmth and comfort for decades to come.

It meant his dreary future was not inevitable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, everyone! Thank you again to my beta-readers, hazama_d20 (AO3) and indigoGBA (Twitter). If you liked this fic, I have another short and sweet complete fic up now, Electric Veins. And for fans of longer fics, I have a DP prequel fic up now called Just Fourteen!
> 
> Thank you to everyone in the DP Reddit server, especially to the server mom AJ for organizing this fun event! This was a big challenge for me, but I hope I pulled it off!
> 
> Best,  
> Ani

**Author's Note:**

> Happy holidays, Phandom! This is for the Danny Phantom Reddit Discord Server's Secret Santa exchange. [If you'd like to join us, click here! I'm Ozone on there.](https://discord.gg/MbhZErDcJx) My gift-receiver (who is an aspiring young writer) asked for a motivational story involving Dan Phantom. Here you go, Kane! Thanks for always sharing your stories with me and sharing your radiant self with the server, and I hope you enjoy this one! I'm glad we met! The second and final will be up on December 24th.
> 
> [The quote in the intro is from Mandy Oaklander's article "Why Do We Cry?" in TIME Magazine.](https://time.com/4254089/science-crying/)
> 
> Thank you to my beta readers, [hazama_d20](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazama_d20/pseuds/Hazama_d20) and [indigoGBA](https://twitter.com/indigoGBA)
> 
> All my best,  
> \- Ani


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